Chilling on a Dirt Road - Iowa Loess Hills T-Shirt

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A rural Iowa farm scene on one of the unimproved roads along the Loess Hills National Scenic Byway. Recent rains had softened the dirt road, so there wasn't any driving on it on this day, but the rain left behind some fantastic clouds and made the fields lush.

The farmers in this area of Iowa practice terracing and contour farming to limit erosion of the loess. Loess (pronounced luss) is the German word for loose or crumbly. It is the name for the type of soil found here. The Loess Hills are incredibly fragile, and at almost 40 tons per acre per year, they have the highest erosion rate in the United States. I always find the patterns created with the contouring and terracing fascinating!

The Loess Hills are a natural geologic wonder, running 200 miles along Iowa's western border. This extraordinary landscape is a mix of prairie and forest-covered steep bluffs, narrow ridges, rolling hills, and lots of farming.

Copyright 2021 Susan Rissi Tregoning

I'm a travel photographer that enjoys photographing United States architecture, nature, and transportation. As the 8th photographer in 4 generations of my family, I don't remember a time when photography was not part of my life. By the time I was five years old, I was standing on a stool in the darkroom, helping my dad develop pictures. It was my job to transfer the photos from the hypo to the water bath. I went to college for interior design. After I graduated, I had a long successful career as an art buyer and designer for a large home furnishings company. In 2006, I had a significant life change. My husband became a medical traveler, and I decided to put my career on hold to tag along. In the process, I found my roots again. What...